Class action lawsuit filed regarding funding plan for Browns’ stadium

A lawsuit has been filed in Franklin County Common Pleas by former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and former state Rep. Jeffrey Crossman, both Democrats. They claim that the Ohio Republicans’ method of using residents’ unclaimed funds to finance a new domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns violates constitutional rules. The legal action is on behalf of three named Ohio residents and all others with unclaimed funds by June 30, 2025, held by the state. The lawsuit argues that taking people’s private property for government use, as well as citizens’ due process rights, is violated by utilizing funds from the state’s Unclaimed Funds Account for a stadium in suburban Brook Park, planned by the Haslam Sports Group.

The state’s operating budget contains provisions that divert over $1 billion in unclaimed funds to establish an Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund, with the Browns the first recipient with $600 million allocated. Cleveland has contested the plan. Attorney General Dave Yost has criticized the funding approach and virtually called on DeWine to veto it, believing it is legally permissible.

The lawsuit challenges the legality of certain provisions in the state budget that shift unclaimed funds to support the stadium construction. The plaintiffs urge for an injunction to prevent the implementation of the plan. This action targets the legality of the process and the constitutional implications rather than the construction of the stadium itself.

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